Pairing: Eren/Mikasa
Setting: Slight AU. Everything is the same, but Carla is still alive. I figure Eren wanted to join before she died, chances are he still would have even if she was alive, Armin and Mikasa included. In this universe takes place after Chapter 52 (it was started before chapter 53 came out).
Words:4124
Rating: K+ (Little language)
Notes: This is for enchantedpetrichor! She was talking to me about Carla feels one day and I got to thinking how it would be if Carla didn't die. She's always been so super sweet to me in her reviews and messages from the very beginning of my drabbles so this ones for you, dear 3 There's a fluffy warning here too ;D The title comes from Phillp Phillips' "Home".
If You Get Lost You Can Always Be Found
The small cottage looked just like how it did when Mikasa had left. It was still far away from where she, Armin, and Eren had called home for so long but once the wall came down, it was all they had now.
"Think she's home?" Eren asked, shielding his eyes from the sun. His hair stuck to his face after walking through the town under the sun in their uniforms; both Eren and Armin had teased Mikasa about passing out with a scarf on top of her uniform. It figured the only time Levi would give them a mission alone was a brutal summer day.
"Probably," Armin shrugged. "She never liked to go too far out here."
Eren pushed open the gate and held it open for Mikasa and Armin. "Think she'll be surprised?"
"That you're still alive? No doubt," Armin snorted.
Eren tried to shut the gate on him which only got him a playful shove from Armin.
Mikasa wondered if Carla thought they were all dead. She'd never forget how angry Carla was when they left. "Do you think she's still mad at us?" Mikasa glanced over at Eren, seeing a slight change in his eyes.
"Guess we'll find out." Eren hesitated at the steps of the porch, causing Armin to clasp a hand onto Eren's shoulder.
It was a bittersweet task they had been given. On one hand Levi let them visit Carla for a few days, on the other hand they had to try and get information out of her regarding the basement and Grisha without alerting her to what was going on. Not to mention their friends surrounding the house discreetly to make sure nothing went wrong. For now though, Mikasa couldn't keep her heart rate from speeding up; the boys probably feeling the same anticipation. After all, Carla was the only family any of them had left aside from each other.
Eren walked up to the door and rapped his knuckles against the wood.
"I'm coming!" a muffled voice called from inside the house. "Is that you, Louise? You're never on time. Whether too early or too late. I suppose it's nice you're early for a cha-"
The door swung open but Mikasa couldn't hear Carla talking anymore. Mikasa stood with Armin one step below Eren but she saw Carla's wide eyes, her hand over her mouth.
Eren reached a hand behind his head. "Hi, Mom. Sorry we didn't give you much warning. We only just found out last-"
Eren didn't get to finish his sentence either. Carla threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug; one Mikasa didn't know if Carla intended to let go of for a long time. Mikasa saw the tears through Carla's closed eyes.
"Not mad would be the verdict," Armin nudged Mikasa with his shoulder.
She felt a smile pull at her lips. For a moment, all seemed right in the world again. For just a few days, they could have a home again.
Carla pulled away from him, her hands still grasping his shoulders. "Look at you, Eren!" She grabbed him into a hug again. "You're not the little boy who left here anymore are you." She pulled away once more, her glistening eyes locked on his face. One hand moved up to his face, while the other brushed over the Scouting Legion patch on his arm, a few tears dripping down her cheeks.
"I never wanted you to join but I never thought you weren't capable of it. I always knew you were."
"I know, Mom. I know you did."
Though Mikasa couldn't see Eren's face, she heard a tone in his voice she hadn't in a while; a much lighter one.
Carla wiped her face before catching Mikasa's eyes. "And look at you,"
Mikasa didn't even have time to brace herself before Carla had her arms around her. It was an overwhelming sense of comfort to be hugged by the woman who had become such a mother to her when her own mother was gone.
"I'm so happy to see you, sweetheart." Carla tightened her grip on Mikasa.
"I am too."
Carla's hands reached up to cup her face. "You've gotten even more beautiful than you already were. Are you having to fight off all the boys yet?"
Heat rose to Mikasa's cheeks. "I…"
"No wait. I want to hear about it all later." Carla gave Mikasa's shoulders a squeeze before turning away from her. "Armin." Carla opened her arms wide to him.
Armin already had his arms open for her. "Mom."
"I remember when you were all shorter than me," she chuckled pulling Armin into her and holding him close. "Of course, I remember when you were born."
Mikasa looked up to Eren. He was watching Carla but a smile that she hadn't seen in a long while was on his face.
"Come on you three, come inside. You must be hungry. I can't imagine they feed you well at all." Carla ushered them all in the house, closing the door behind them.
The small house looked and smelt just like it always had. Like home. Mikasa pulled her boots off knowing Carla didn't really like them trailing dirt in even when they were kids. Armin dumped their bag off to the side of the door.
"C'mon, you can tell me everything while I make you something to eat."
Armin was first in line causing a smile to pull on Mikasa's lips; the mess hall certainly didn't compare to Carla Jaeger's cooking. Mikasa followed after Eren to the small dining room table off to the side of the kitchen.
"I can't believe you got a day of leave. That's pretty rare in the military isn't it?"
Eren hesitated for a moment. "Our Commander just thought it would boost some moral so it's a few days actually." The fact that Carla's husband quite possibly experimented on their only son resulting in him being able to shift into a titan was something the three of them and Levi had decided was best to not mention. It likely wouldn't get the answers they needed, and might break Carla's heart in the process.
Eren flopped himself down at the table across from Armin while Mikasa sat in her seat in the middle.
"Well, isn't this a scene I've seen countless times," Carla chuckled as she began to pull out her cooking utensils. "I'm just so happy to see you three safe."
Mikasa had a feeling Carla intentionally left off the word "alive" as well.
"So out with it. I wanna hear about how you've been. I'm sure it's not an easy life but have you made friends with any of the others?"
Friends. Yeah, they had friends alright. Ones who died. Ones who betrayed them. Ones who left without a word.
Mikasa glanced over to Eren; she saw the change in his eyes, the way the light went out of them.
"Yeah," he answered with a smile for his mom. "We've made quite a few friends over the years."
"Can you believe Eren actually made friends outside of Mikasa and I?" Armin spoke with a light tone, clearly trying to lift the mood that had settled over the table.
Carla's warm laughed filled the room, brightening it right up while Eren tried to find something to throw at Armin.
"What about you, Armin? You don't seem anything like that little boy who used to get cornered by bullies anymore."
"Sometimes," Eren snorted with a small smile.
"I've made plenty of friends, no thanks to you who made more enemies first."
"Why does that not surprise me." Carla pulled out her knife and started to cut up some fruit on the counter. "How about lady friends?"
Eren raised his eyebrows, shooting an amused look across the table.
"Mrs. Jaeger." Armin looked up in mock outrage. "We're saving the world. There's no time from women and romance."
"Oh please." Carla tossed the fruit into a large bowl. "I'm assuming most of your comrades are your age. A bunch of teenagers stuck together for months on end? I'd be surprised if woman and romance wasn't the only thing on your minds." She pulled out another bowl before pouring some cream into it, but Mikasa couldn't tell what it was. Carla must have noticed Mikasa watching her, because a grin crossed Carla's lips as she looked over to her.
"What about you, Mikasa? You can't tell me you don't have the boys lining up behind you."
Mikasa's head snapped up, not liking all the eyes suddenly on her. "I…well no."
"So modest, Mikasa," Armin leaned back in his chair. She knew that look on his face; it never meant good things. "We all know you at least have one admirer."
A loud scoff caused Mikasa to look over at Eren. His arms were crossed over his chest. "Too bad he can be a complete bastard."
"Make that two." Armin still had that grin on as he watched Eren.
Carla didn't try to hold in amused laughter. "I take it someone doesn't approve."
"Yeah, you're right I don't."
Mikasa could feel the heat rising right up to her cheeks. She had never really heard Eren talk about Jean's fondness for her; she didn't even know Eren noticed.
"She deserves better than him. All he does is drool over her."
"And saved her life," Armin chimed in earning a glare from Eren but he didn't say anything else on the topic.
Carla began to mix the contents of her bowl. Mikasa started at the white concoction, trying to keep her mind anywhere but at the table. Her heart was racing in her chest as she swallowed hard. This wasn't really the dinner topic she had been hoping for and Carla didn't seem to want to end it as she glanced over at Eren.
"And who would be good enough for her, Eren Jaeger?"
Mikasa was pretty sure her face was as red as her scarf but she looked over at Eren against her better judgment. He didn't answer; he just scowled off in the opposite direction.
"Because I'll tell you something."
Mikasa could hear the grin in Carla's voice; she had never been one to keep her teasing to herself; clearly nothing changed. Mikasa looked over to Armin hoping he would cut Carla off or say something to spare more embarrassment, but he had his hands behind his head looking like Christmas came early. Some friend he was. Eren was no help either since he wasn't looking at any of them.
"I don't think anyone will be in your eyes, so you better listen to what I told you years ago, you hear me?"
Mikasa watched Eren's cheeks turn a shade of red but whether of anger or embarrassment she wasn't sure; she wasn't even sure what Carla was referring to.
"Okay, okay," he grunted waved her off. "How come you didn't ask me about all the beautiful women I'm surrounded with all the time?"
Carla let out a laugh before turning to face the table. "Because I don't have to ask to know. There's only a handful of women who could handle you and two are two of them are in this room."
"Okay, I'm pretty sure 'Let's Harass Eren Hour' is over. Can we eat now?"
Carla pulled out some bowls from her cabinet before beginning to pour the fruit into them. "It's not a meal, that can come later today. Just something cool and sweet since you look like you're sweating in those things." She placed a bowl in front of each of them. "Especially you, Mikasa. Still wear that old thing everywhere?" Carla reached back for the other bowl and a spoon before drizzling thick frosting onto the fruit in each of their bowls and handing each of them a fork.
Mikasa's hand fluttered up to the end of the old fabric. Most of the time she didn't even realize it was there, it had just become such a part of her; she felt Eren's lingering gaze. "Yeah, reminds me of home."
Armin let out a delighted moan before seeming to realize all eyes had turned to him. He looked up from the bowl, mouth full with fruit. He swallowed it not bothering to lick off the frosting on his lips. "Have you tasted this? I hadn't even realized I was eating cardboard for three years until now."
"Eat up," Carla clapped her hands together. "And then no offense but I'm shoving you all in the shower. I'm sure I can find you some of your old clothes if you didn't bring any so you can feel a little more relaxed."
"We brought some with us," Eren said in between pouring fruit down his throat. It really had been a long time since they ate anything decent.
Not only was the food in front of her delicious enough to forget her burning face, the prospect of taking a shower without a bunch of people fighting over the water was something she never thought she'd have the pleasure of again.
"Carla! Sorry, I'm late. Ready to go?"
The voice was unfamiliar, Mikasa assumed it to be the friend Carla had mistaken them for. Carla walked over to the doorway of the kitchen and the living room.
"Sorry, Louise, you're gonna have to head to the market alone today. My kids are home."
Mikasa couldn't hold back a smile. Even after all these years, it was always nice to hear that she was still someone's child.
Unsurprisingly, she was the first one done and the first one up the stairs, clothes from the bag in hand. She almost wanted to just sit there all day under the water, but she didn't actually want to take all the warm water from the boys; she noticed they didn't start banging on the door when she had taken longer than her turn after all.
She slipped into her clean skirt and shirt before draping her scarf around her neck and opening the door to head back downstairs. Carla was sitting in an armchair with a cup of tea in her hands but Armin and Eren were nowhere to be seen.
"They went upstairs to wait for you," she said as Mikasa walked into the room. She took a seat on the small couch across from Carla. The cushions were so soft she resisted just leaning over and falling asleep on them; it was like being in the lap of luxury for a day.
"So," Carla had that mischievous look in her eye, the one Mikasa thought she'd never stop seeing today. Mikasa's cheeks heated up just at the prospect of what Carla had to say. "Where those boys telling the truth? About you having an admirer?"
Mikasa shrugged slightly. "I guess."
"That's not an answer, dear. Do better for your Aunt Carla who has been missing the three of you dearly."
A smile tugged at Mikasa's lips; Carla was never above using guilt trips. "Yeah, there's this one guy who seems to be kinda attached to me I guess."
"Details please."
Mikasa resisted rolling her eyes; it was like she was talking to a teenage girl. "He's very nice and a good friend. I honestly never see if he likes me like that, it's just what I've been told."
"Ah," Carla made a noise of understanding. "That's because there's only one person in your eyes." She glanced slightly at the ceiling above her head before looking back at Mikasa. "I guess I'm not surprised at all. It's been that way since the day I met you. It is reassuring he has you always watching out for him though. I just wish he'd learn to do the same."
"Wish who would learn to do what?" Eren's voice came from the stairs as he walked down to join them. His hair was still wet, slightly dripping onto his shirt and his face.
"Wish you would learn to mind your own business, Eren." Carla gestured for him to come join them.
Eren sat himself down on the couch with Mikasa, sitting just a bit away from her before stretching his arm over the back of the couch. He leaned back in a comfortable position; a position that military grade furniture didn't really allow you to without a serious backache in the morning.
"About when you used to sneak cookies in the middle of the night because you would think I couldn't hear you even though my bedroom was right next to the kitchen."
"And here I was thinking I was the stealthy one all these years."
Carla chuckled before placing her tea down on the table. "I'll go get some drinks while we wait on Armin." She stood up from her chair and made her way back to the kitchen.
Mikasa wasn't sure if it was the heat of the day or the fact that she could sit down without having to worry about running off to fight, but she could feel her eye lids drooping already. It was probably the first day since she joined the military where she could just relax; they all could. They had an objective, but they had a few days to work on Carla. They could always just take it easy for a day…
"Hey."
Eren's voice made her head snap up. Mikasa wasn't even aware that she was dozing off. "Lay down its okay." He gestured for her to come over.
She hesitated for a moment. Something had gotten into him, she just couldn't tell what.
"Don't look at me like that. It's not like you've never fallen asleep on this couch before."
Well, he had a point. They didn't always make it upstairs late at night. She leaned over on her side, placing her head near his legs. Maybe it was a day off, or maybe it was because it smelt like home, and maybe it was because she could feel Eren's warm body near her but Mikasa was asleep before she even realized it.
"Leave them alone, Armin." A soft chuckle, a familiar laugh. "It does bring back memories. I used to find them like that all the time."
"Yeah, me too," Armin snorted.
Mikasa's mind was hazy; she couldn't even open her eyes. She heard a few words around her, but all she wanted to do was go back to sleep; it seemed like ages since she had slept so well. She went to roll over, to get away from the light noise but something blocked her way. A warm body pressed up against her back, an arm tossed over her waist, hot breath against her neck. It took her a moment to realize who it was.
"Tell me the truth. Are they really okay?"
There was no response for a moment, like Armin was hesitating. "Yeah, they're okay. It's not easy, ever. But we've still managed to make it."
"I'd like to keep it that way."
"Don't we all," Armin said.
No one said anything for a bit, Mikasa found herself drifting off again; Eren's warm body against her, his rhythmic breathing was too much to keep her awake.
"I know you didn't come here just for a few days break. I'm not completely ignorant to what's going on in our world."
Mikasa knew she should probably get up, or stay awake to hear what else she had to say. That was why they were here after all, but she couldn't even bring her body to move.
"I want to help in any way I can. All you have to do is ask."
"We'll worry about it tomorrow. I think everyone can do to forget for just a little while."
A smile twitched at Mikasa's lips; leave it to Armin to be the one to look out for all of them.
"Well, come on, I want to hear some stories. Tell me about your comrades, your superiors."
Mikasa never heard what stories Armin had to tell; though she was sure of what ones she didn't tell him.
"C'mon, Eren. Wake up and get upstairs."
Mikasa could hear Carla's soft voice, Eren's body gently shaking.
"Yeah, yeah." Eren began to stir, his hands pushing himself up around her.
She was about to stretch her own body out, to get up and make the familiar sleepy trip upstairs.
"Want me to wake her up too?"
"Nah, no need. I got her." Eren moved away from her causing a slight shiver to go through her limbs from the lack of his warm presence. It was back in a moment when she felt his arms slip underneath her and hoist her off the couch. She rolled her head against his shoulder, her body so worn all she could do was stay limp in his arms. Her body rocked against his as his steady footsteps headed up the stairs.
"Please, Eren. Don't even bother." Carla's voice was close again; she must have followed after Eren.
"Mom."
"You can go ahead and put her in her own room but I know just as well as you either she's gonna wake up or you are and you'll just end up with each other anyways. You two've been that way since she came to live with us, and I highly doubt anything has changed."
Eren didn't disagree; he didn't say anything really. His direction did change though, taking her somewhere he hadn't been originally.
"Something tells me your commanders wouldn't quite approve of the little habit you two have."
"Well, not even they know everything."
"Not that many parents would either. Nine was already too old for sharing a bed let alone fifteen." Carla sighed softly. "But how could I ever tear her away when I heard her cries at night, her terrors. Your father couldn't bring himself to do it either. We just agreed to let it happen."
Mikasa felt a gentle hand on her forehead, brushing some fallen hair out of her face. The familiar creak of Eren's door opening told Mikasa everything she needed to know about where they were.
"Eren." Carla's voice dropped a few notches, so quiet, Mikasa could barely hear her. She figured Armin must already be asleep in the room. "You did listen to what I said, right? You do take care of her?"
She could felt the soft mattress under her, the pillow against her hair as Eren put her down. A blanket was pulled over her body, a hand brushed by her cheek.
"Not as well as I should've."
"The scar there, it doesn't make her any less beautiful."
She could hear Eren's sharp intake of breath before the bed shifted against his weight sitting down. "No, I don't think anything could."
"Nor does it make you guilty. You don't have to tell me what happened but I see how you look at her when you don't think anyone is looking. I don't think she could blame you for anything that girl."
"She's too good to me. Always has been." Eren paused for a moment. "Which is why I'm not gonna let anything happen to her again."
"I know. Get some rest, Eren."
"'Night."
The door creaked shut as Eren laid himself down on the bed. He pulled the blanket up over him, his legs bumping into hers as he rested his head down. He draped an arm over her body, his bed from when he was twelve never really was that big to begin with, and pulled her close to him.
It's not like she wasn't wide awake at this point, but better to not let him know that. Still, she couldn't help but reach her own arms around him, much like they always did.
Eren placed his chin over her head as her face pressed against his neck. "I know you are awake so no need to pretend for my sake anymore."
Mikasa pulled her head back slightly, so she could see those bright eyes of his. "I don't blame you, you know. Not even when it happened."
She saw something flicker in his face, but he pushed it aside too fast. "I know." He pressed a hand against her cheek.
"Did we get the information we needed today?"
Eren shrugged, moving his hand back down to her waist. "Not when I was awake, maybe Armin got somewhere. If not there's always tomorrow." Eren yawned putting his head back over hers. "At least we got a little bit away from the military. A day home."
A day home. Mikasa pressed her head back against his chest. One day she hoped they have a whole life full of days home, but for now, a day home was better than just about anything.